While Tampa weddings happen every day throughout the Bay, Meghan and Ryan made history with their Floridan Palace Hotel wedding. After going through a major restoration, the hotel hosted its first wedding in 45 years for the Tampa Bay couple. “The Floridan Palace Hotel was an obvious choice for me from the first time I saw it. The lobby and ballroom radiate sophistication and elegance from the moment you step inside,” Meghan gushed. “I knew my wedding would go perfectly with the gold throughout the hotel and the beautiful Swarovski chandeliers and wall sconces.”

With the help of Tampa wedding plannerWeddings by Georgia, Meghan and Ryan created a classy, elegant gold and ivory wedding. “I wanted to create a warm, romantic ambiance that people would remember as being stunning,” Meghan explained. The bride featured gold chairvari chairs, gold plate chargers, tall ivory centerpieces, a lounge area, and draping throughout the room. Guests were also treated to a little dessert before dinner. “We had a delicious and beautiful cupcake at each place setting for the guests when they took their seats. They were adorable and super delicious and like we said all the time, ‘Who does not want a cupcake before dinner?'”

On the recommendation of Weddings by Georgia, the pair chose Tampa wedding floristNorthside Florist. “I only wanted ivory flowers, nothing colored. I knew since I was only going to have ivory flowers, the arrangements would need to be even more beautiful. From my first meeting with Kathy, she understood what my vision was and made great additions to finish my thoughts. We clicked right away and she made something that could have been stressful, easy. People still talk about how beautiful the tables were,” Meghan raved.

Everyone had told me that it was important to feel comfortable with your photographer, and Ryan and I both did. Our engagement shot and wedding photos are stunning. He is truly and artist! – The Bride on Tampa wedding photographer Aaron Lockwood Photography

The Church was very important to me. I had recently converted to Catholicism and I knew I had to be married at Sacred Heart; it is hands down the most beautiful Catholic Church in Tampa. The fact that the Floridan Palace Hotel is only a couple of blocks away just seemed to make it all meant to be. – The Bride

My husband calls me the ‘candy lady” and I knew a candy/dessert buffet would be a delightful touch to the reception. Chic Sweets was fantastic and created a beautiful and delicious display of sweets. – The Bride

What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay Brides?My advice to other brides would be to hire Georgia Watson of Weddings by Georgia to plan your wedding! She was absolutely amazing and I would not have been able to do it without her. She made every step of the process easy and enjoyable and the wedding day magical.

Marry Me Tampa Bay editor, Anna Coats, created Marry Me Tampa Bay in 2012 to showcase the area's best local weddings and vendors. She has been featured as a wedding expert on the national talkshow Daytime, Fox13, ABC Action News, Great Day Tampa Bay, and Bay News 9 (now Spectrum).